Create solar lights and tiki torches with old wine bottles

I am still experimenting with empty bottles. Once I finish a bottle of wine, I wash and remove the labels and make cute lights or citronella lanterns. I’ve made some great gifts for friends and family, too!

The Prep 

I find the best way to remove the labels is to soak in hot water with Dawn dish soap. I carefully peel or scrape the labels off using a small kitchen spatula or spatula/scraper used with a Cricut or Silhouette vinyl machine. If there is still glue left on the bottle, I apply and wipe with alcohol or spray Goo Gone on the area and scrub with a kitchen dish scrub or stainless steel scrub.  Once you finish removing the glue with Goo Gone, you then want to wash with Dawn to remove the oily substance. I love to use Dawn Power Spray for this process. The band around the neck of the bottle can usually be very sharp, so you want to be careful when you cut it off.  Dry your bottle completely.

I use a variety of materials; applying them with a hot glue gun. Jute twine, colorful glass beads and stones and buttons. Use your imagination!

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When using a hot glue gun, I like to keep a toothbrush handy to lightly brush away the glue “webs” that will stick around!

To finish off these creations that you see here, I added solar lights that I ordered from Amazon. 

I fill bottles with citronella and order wicks and hardware to hold the wicks from Amazon.